7. Can one be a consequentialist without being a hedonist? Explain. What is
meant by "happiness"? [For example, can one aim at "well-being"
or "functioning well" or some sort of personal or social order?
Is there such a thing as "moral" well-being and "social"
well-being?]

8. What is meant by preference utilitarianism? [Are these the same
as "interests"? Is an act "morally right" if it satisfies
the greatest number of interests of the greatest number of persons involved?]

9. How is one to calculate the "sum total" of positive and negative
effects for everyone involved?

11. [What are the limits of "foresight"? That is, how capable are
we of anticipating or imagining long-term consequences?]

Utilitarianism and Cost/Benefit Analysis

12. What is meant by cost/benefit analysis? [When businesses use
this term, what aims are they usually referring to? Pleasure? Happiness? Well-being?
Profit?] Discuss the author's example of an artificial heart program. [Discuss
research into drug treatments for rare illnesses.]

13. What are some of the advantages of the utilitarian position? [Discuss
the problem of testing moral principles. Can they be verified or legitimated
in the light of unchanging standards (religious command, natural law, and the
like)? Or do we only have personal or collective experience of how things turn
out (when we act in accordance with a particular principle) as our guide? Discuss.]

Objections to Utilitarianism

14. What are some objections to utilitarianism (according to the author)?

15. [Does the good or happiness or well-being of the many outweigh the good
of the individual? What happens to individuals or minorities with the practice
of the principle of utility?]

16. The author cites a scenario wherein a businessman determines it would be
better to break a promise (of full-time work and benefits) to one employee than
to allow his business to fail (thus impacting many part-time employees, as well
as himself. Discuss this scenario.

17. How would the utilitarian respond to these objections? Are there negative
consequences that result from breaking promises? Could these consequences be
more important than the employer thinks?

18. What is the difference between rule utilitarianism [associated
with Mill] and act utilitarianism [associated with Bentham]? [For the
rule utilitarian, act utilitarianism or calculation of a specific
act in a specific situation, kicks in only when there is no general rule available
or when generally held rules are conflicting.]